Shelby (aka Petunia)

On September 22, 2007 a wonderful event happened. Shelby (aka Petunia) welcomed us into her life.

Shelby is a 10 year old, long haired dachshund. She is deaf, and with age, is starting to lose her sight as well, however, she can still spot a crumb falling from across the room! And the energy this little girl has!! You just wouldn’t believe it!

My sister Inge introduced us to SCARS as she is an advocate for rescuing animals where possible. She emailed me one day telling me about this poor little girl who was on the website just waiting for a home and did I know anyone who might want her. I had seen her on the website before and couldn’t help but fall in love with those eyes.

While I was thinking of people who may want to adopt her I thought of my father-in-law. He was home by himself and could use a companion. So, I called Kevin (my other half) and asked him what he thought of that idea. He hesitated for a moment and then said “Well, I was thinking getting her for us.” At this point, I wasn’t sure. Our little guy Scooter had passed away in April at the age of 16 years and I really didn’t know if I was ready to have a new little one in my life. So, I looked at her picture again and there was my fatal error! I emailed Inge and told her we had found Shelby a home - with us! Inge of course was thrilled! Now, the saddest thing I think at this point was the name they had given Shelby at SCARS... Petunia!!! She was not a little flower!!! She was a Princess (as we were to find out) and so we decided her name would be Shelby (we also have a passion for the Ford Mustang).

So that weekend, we drove to Edmonton from our home in Calgary to meet our soon to be new addition. When we got to her foster home she immediately came running over to greet me and Kevin and it was like she knew why we were there. She grabbed onto the plastic handle of the leash we had brought and was trying to pick it up. She was just a little bundle of pure excitement! So there was no doubt in my mind that we had to bring her home, and Kevin felt the same way. After signing the papers she was ours.. lock.. stock.. and energy! After a brief visit with my sister we were on our way back home to Calgary - nothing like a one day round trip to pass the day - and she settled down in the truck, after an hour of trying to decide which window she would be able to see out of the best!

Once we were home, she sniffed around the place, pooped on the floor, and blessed it as a good home to be at. We had a nice little bed for her which she found to her liking as well. She did the three minimum turn and layed down for the night. Sunday was a fun filled day of trying to figure out how to talk to each other when she couldn’t hear us, and we didn’t know if her family before had tried to use hand signals with her. She was happy though, she had food, she had water, scratches when she wanted them.. and...a doggie door!! Well, once she figured out she didn’t have to tell us when she wanted out, there was no stopping her! Until she figured that part out, we did have a bit of training us to figure out when she wanted out! After a couple of errors and carpet cleaning spots, we figured out when she just sat and stared at us, it meant she wanted out!! We were trainable though, and willing to learn. It really is one of the biggest challenges with adopting a rescue dog, understanding the cues they have been using all their lives and they really don’t understand why their new humans don’t understand what they are saying!!!

Sunday was a fun filled day of learning a bit more about each other, and of Shelby figuring out the rules of our house.. basically there weren’t any!
Monday morning I did have a good giggle at her. I got up for work and you should have seen the look I got!!! I could just see her checking her doggie watch with a total look of disgust, then looking up at me with a look that said, without a doubt, “Excuse me... Mom... Princess’s do NOT get up this early.. Please turn the light back off!” Her new dad was of course thrilled because he feels the same way about getting up in the morning!

So began our life with Shelby. It is now three months later and her Dad (and yes Mom too) caters to her every whim. She is our little Princess. There have been challenges along the way, but none that were insurmountable with effort. We do have a little problem when we take her for walks as she decides to take us for the walk by pulling on the leash, and she can become aggressive with other dogs sometimes. So we started obedience classes. Well, we get to class and she is the perfect little angel. My classmates are wondering what I am talking about when I tell them the problems I see. Not in class. She gets along with all the other dogs, and when I am asked to walk her on the leash she obediently walks along right beside me, never pulling, never going off on her own. Just following along like a perfect, well trained little dog! The little brat!! I know she was doing it on purpose!

So, our first class continues. I have already taught her a hand signal for sit which she has mastered. It is amazing what can be accomplished with a little bit of treats!! So of course the class is all amazed at how well she will listen when I tell her to sit. However, now comes the new instructions, we have to tell them to go “down” and to “stand”. Well says the instructor, it is very simple. You put them into a sit (all her classmates had figured out the sit pretty quickly with food being involved) and to stand you put the treat to their nose and pull it away from them. They of course stand and follow the food! So, yes, she had that one down pat as well. Now however it was time for the down. Simple says our instructor, just take that treat to their nose again, and pull it down toward their body. They will follow it right through and sit down to get it. HAH!!!! Have you ever tried this trick with a long bodied, short legged dog?? They are contortionists!!! She was moving her body in ways I thought impossible to get that food. The instructor took pity on me and came over to “show how it is done”. Well good luck! Didn’t work for her either! Shelby just kept bending that head under her body and never had to sit for it at all. So, the instructor finally conceded the fact that sometimes the long bodied, short legged dogs were harder to get to do it, so what I should do instead was sit on the floor and have her go under my leg to get the food. Hey, it worked! She crawled under my leg to get the food I was holding on the other side! The first time. After that she knew what I was doing so would just jump over my leg instead! Again, the little brat!! But, I have faith, this too will work out, and she is getting better on the leash now too! Monday night is our second class so we will see what wonderful things they will come up with for us!

Shelby is filling a void that I knew was there after Scooter left us, but didn’t realize how much I needed to have it filled. I can’t imagine why her family let her go after 10 years but it was my luck that they did. There are challenges with her age and disabilities but the joy she brings far outweighs those challenges and I am sure she forgives us the challenges she has with us as well.

Annie (Jill)

This is Annie. Her sad eyes and battle scarred face tore at our hearts. We had just lost our young SCARS rescue, Casey, to a tragic accident. Holly was depressed and subdued and needed a playmate. We were looking for a Lab/ Border Collie cross, with short hair this time. Annie's little face begged us to adopt her.
We all piled into the car on a scorching July day and drove up to Sylvia's to meet Jill (Annie) and her brother Jack. Annie pretty much ignored us after Sylvia released her from the quarantine shed. Exploring around the dog runs was much more important than meeting new people! Even if those new people were going to be her forever home.
As Annie was 4-5 months old, we missed all of the endearing puppy antics that you would get with a younger pup. However, it was nice to also miss the teething and crying at night. House training was a snap and not one pair of socks or underwear came to grief! She was already big enough to go for walks and play with Holly. All she lacked was stamina which we built up gradually with good food and exercise. Annie still doesn't have Holly's border collie turn of speed or agility, but she is great at hand to hand combat and loves wrestling.
In true Lab fashion, Annie will eat anything, any time. She always thinks that she's starving and licks up every crumb or drip from the kitchen floor! I really don't know how she managed for 3 or 4 months on her own after she was weaned (presuming she had a Mom that long). Maybe that's why she wants to eat so much, making up for lost time! Annie is vocal and sounds like a bear when she's rolling on the carpet or trying to get Holly to play. She's a real character and we're glad that we had the chance to add her to our life. We love her!!

Cricket (Pearl)

Just wanted to send along some pictures of Cricket (formerly Pearl) enjoying her new home. Please feel free to use them as you like.

Cricket hasn't been a problem free gal, but she is definately part of the family now. Her sense of humor and love for life is infectous! ***Karen

Bruno (Hugo Boss)

Hi there,

Just wanted to send a short note thanking you guys for the newest addition to our family! We have had Bruno for 3 weeks now - he has been an absolute joy! He now plays well with our 2 year old Wheaten Terrier who has shown much patience for the energetic little ball of fluff and teeth. He constantly is entertaining us - he is really clever, mostly obedient and is enjoying the snow and the freedom of a yard. I will post some more progress reports as my little guy gets bigger -

Thanks again for placing him with us - he is a perfect fit

Gillian, Scott (and Callie)

Nanuk (Lady)

Time flies when you're having fun!Nearly 2 years (January 2006) since this sweetheart, Nanuk (aka Lady), came to us. She nearly doubled her weight and is now a healthy 35kg dog. Her learning curve has been huge over the last two years. She has over come all her of her fears - unknown people, unknown ground, stairs, travel in cars and all her unwanted behavior was curbed (chasing trucks)! She has worked on reducing her fear- aggression with other dogs and she now gets to play with most other dogs around town. Nanuk has been learning how to track and retrieve, and she passed basic training last year without effort. Last year we worked on recall, this year we're going to take her out skiing with us and we can't wait! She will get to put all her skills to work out in the snow! We have so many people stop us on our walks to comment on how well behaved she is, that we usually have to plan on twice as long to get to where we're going. She is one massive love-bug and we couldn't have asked for anything better. We are so happy to have found a dog that needed the time and love because we had it all to give!Thanks so much.

Adrienne and Ryan

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Feb, 2006

Hi there.

This is an update on Lady the rescued Pyrenese.

It has been 3 weeks since I picked her up. She is now called Nanuk (inuit for Polar Bear) and she has settled in nicely and has made new friends everywhere we go.


Two weeks ago she was spayed and had entropian repair to her eyes (surgury to stop her eyelashes from touching her eyes, which was causing the dark streaks down her face). She is socializing well at the ski shop with customers and has been meeting all of Grizzly Bear's friends (and family).

We have taken her out hiking a few times and hopefully with time will learn to be a little more graceful, as she seems to thrash and crash her way through the woods with great joy. She seems to like everyone she meets, men, women, children and dogs.

Nanuk has made a wonderful impact on our family and we will continue to embrace her presence for years to come. She loves car rides now, the ride back from Westlock was restless for her, but after that 5 hour trip, 30 minutes to her is nothing. How do you fit 2 dogs in a little Kia? Easy.

Cheers.

Adrienne

Ralph (Michael)

Hi SCARS



Here is Ralph, formerly Michael, I would like to thank SCARS and also my foster mother Pauline, for getting me a new home. I have a sister named Mika, she was from SCARS, so we have a lot in common. I also, have another sister (CAT) named Cleo, and we are not the best of buddies yet but am working on it. As you can see I am the best looking one of the bunch the one in the middle. On my right is my cousin Sonic, and on my left is Mika. I love my new home, have learnt some commands and am walking well on the leash. And oh boy I am 99% toilet trained. My Mum and Dad are happy about that.


So thanks again SCARS for finding me a new home.

Love and oxoxox

RALPH.

Aris

I never changed her name, because she only knew the words "Aris" and "bad dog" when I met her. Since the last update she has learned so many words and commands: heel, dance, shake a paw, wag (at which her tail goes crazy), come, and stay. Since no one played with her before I got her, she didn't know how. Now, after two years, she is finally getting the hang of chasing balls and sticks and sometimes even bringing them back (we're getting there) and she LOVES her squeaky toy. She plays with it like a cat. She used to be afraid of all men, but now it's selective.She even tries to crawl into one of my male friend's lap, like a cat. I'm so proud of her.She has come such a long way since I got her. I only wish I knew how her sister "Luna" is doing. If Luna ever needs a home again, she has one here with me and her sister, no questions asked.

Lydia

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October 10, 2006

Here's an updated picture of Aris who I adopted last August after my old friend Bud passed away. Since the last update, she has learned to sit, shake a paw and dance and she is in the process of learning stay, heel and stop. She gets along well with the three cats in the house but makes sure no feline intruders impinge on her yard. She never made a sound for the first three months she was with me, but now she has become a very good watchdog, letting me know whether someone is walking down the sidewalk or alley. She is also a very good "inside" dog and looks after the house for me while I'm at work. She has become an integral part of my "family" and I thank SCARS for letting me offer her a "forever home". **Lydia

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May, 2006


Hi, I adopted Aris in July of this summer after my 11 year old companion dog Bud passed away. It was pretty traumatic and Aris helped me make the transition easier. Here is a picture of her now (November) in her new home, happy and healthy.




*Lydia, Happy SCARS adoptee recipient

Dixie

Hi,

Not sure if you remember us, we adopted Dixie (black shepherd mix) from a farm outside of Edmonton a couple of years ago, but I just wanted to let you all know she is doing wonderful! My fiancé and I just moved to Nova Scotia but I had to drive out here first by myself because he had to leave a week or so later. Anyway I took Dixie and she was the best company I could have had! We love her dearly and we don’t forget where she came from! I’ll attach some pics!

Brandy, Mike and Hudson

editors note: of course we remember you and Dixie! We never forget our puppies who we will alsoway love nor their adoptive families who we will always be greatful to.

Oslo (AKA Blue)

Hi SCARS ladies!!!

James and I adopted Oso (formerly known as Blue) from you this summer and I just wanted to give you an update! We adopted Oso after being treated at Whitemud Creek Veterinary Clinic for having porcupine quills removed from his face (he and his brothers must have been super hungry to go after a porcupine!).

Oso is the third of our new three dog family. His big brother Murdoch took him in the first day and showed him the ropes. They are best of friends. Oso has really helped my mom’s dog Bear come out of his shell (he is a bit of a mental mess) but they are now very good friends as well! Oso and the gang have all moved to Peachland, B.C. and everyone loves him and comments on his big blue eye! His life consists of exploring all the mountainous crown land, swimming at the doggie beach with other mutts, and resting by the fire in the evening. He is almost finished growing as he is about a year now (whew!).

We love Oso so much and we are so happy that SCARS rescued him so he could be the important part of our family that he is today!

Thank you so much,

Holly and James,
Peachland, BC

Lexie (AKA Leesa)

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to send along a thank you to all of the volunteers and organizers that helped get me healthy and find my forever home. It has been about seven months since I have been home, and life is lots of fun here. As you can see in the picture, I have a little one to look after and he keeps me very busy. He loves me lots, and always has a smile and hug for me. I am just so glad to have found a family that will baby me as much as the baby and has lots of hugs and kisses for me. Even though I’m still a little bit clumsy and forget my size, my dad still lets me crawl into his lap every now and then for a cuddle. Thanks again!!

Lexie

Heidi (Celeste)

Hello,

I thought I would send you some pictures of Heidi (SCARS called her Celeste). She is the most wonderful little girl, well she is not so little anymore... she weighed 10 lb's when we got her on September 16th and she now weighs 21 lb's.

She is in puppy kindergarten and I must say she is very smart and learns very fast, the best in the class...I know... but I am her Mom. Everyone just loves her. With the passing of my beautiful Lucy (Collie) in July, this house was so quite and sad but Heidi has brought so much life back to us. She is teaching us so much about the newness of everything... snow... ice cream... even the leaves blowing across the grass is fun. So thank you so much for our wonderful puppy!

Beth and Terry

Olive (Autumn)

Hello!

I just want to send along a success story, and a picture of our Olive (formerly known as Autumn) who we adoped in August.

We instantly fell in love with her as she bonded with us. It didn't take long for her to settle in, and even when she's causing trouble (which does happen from time to time), we can't stay mad at her for long.

She's been an amazing addition to our household - she's always good for a few laughs and loves her daily walks. She's also doing great at puppy school!

We are so greatful that we found out about SCARS and brought Olive into our lives. We can't wait for dog #2 (but need a bigger house first).
Thank you for everything you do!

Patrick

Hi

We are delighted to give you an update on Patrick who was adopted on August 28, 2007 (or should I say that’s when Patrick adopted us!).

We lost our beloved lab Honey back in April and after 14 ½ years together, we weren’t anxious to have another pet. But from the moment we walked into Dogspaw, Patrick captured our hearts. He walked around the 4 of us, and promptly climbed into my lap which is no small feat for a dog his size! Patrick now lives near an off leash park by the river in Edmonton and loves his 3 walks each day. He is perfectly behaved and enjoys playing with dogs of all sizes. Both he and my husband have lost a few pounds and that’s great for both of them. My 6 yr old nephew recently commented that our house feels much better now that we have another dog and we wholeheartedly agree. Patrick had a check up and shots at the vet yesterday and the vet was delighted to confirm he is in excellent health. We would like to thank you for the great work you do!!

Thanks again for rescuing Patrick!

Buffy (Amarula)

Hello all,

Thought I would send you a quick update with a few pictures of Amarula, who now goes as Buffy. She's 4 and half months now, and is tipping the scale at 20lbs. Not the wee one we brought home, though she still likes to be held and is convinced she's a lap dog. She's doing amazingly well, and has settled in better than we could expect. She has made fast friends with my youngest cat, they wrestle and chase after each other daily. Buffy and my older cat have a game of psychological warfare going on right now, I'm not sure who'll win as she's bigger than him already but doesn't seem to know it.

Although I was a little worried about how well she would get along with my two other dogs Jetson and Ta'i, she has become best buddies with them and usually prefers their company to mine. (especially when she knows tha I am leaving.) I started training classes with her at PetSmart, and she is by far the star pupil. She is smart, attentive and eager to please. Her vet, Dr. Stelfox thinks she's a fabulous little puppy and aside from a few minor problems at the beginning is nice and healthy and growing like a weed.

After the loss of my dog 2 summers ago I didn't think it was possible for me to become so attached to a dog again. I was VERY wrong. Buffy has consumed me and my world revolves around her. She is the addition to our household that seems to belong. Thank you so much for allowing us to bring such a sweetheart into our life. I will keep you updated as she grows. She's going to be one beautiful dog.

Guiness (Ava)

Hi there, It has been a few weeks now since we brought Ava home and we wanted to let you know she is doing really well. We had to change her name as our friends have a (human) baby named Ava and it would have gotten a bit confusing later on. She is now named Guiness because she is black and tan and a little bitter! She still doesnt trust strangers much but is getting much better. She loves her new min pin pal Stella and they play non stop. Guiness got spayed last Friday and that slowed her down for about a day and then she was back in full force! She loves going for walks especially if she gets to wear her new sweater. She is a total snuggle bunny and loves to be under the covers keeping toasty warm.We want to thank SCARS for rescuing her so that she could join our family. Attached are some picture of her and Stella, you can post them if you like!

Thanks again, we love her to bits!

Tracy and Peter

Jasper (Chaos)

I adopted Chaos for my son and myself a couple of years ago (April, 2005). His name is now Jasper and he is a very happy, healthy, well adjusted addition to our family. He loves to play ball and run through the gully by our house. He loves to camp and hang out by the lake. Jasper has made our family complete. He is a special animal that is full of love and he has touched not only our family but all our neighbors too.

Jasper was one of 4 puppies found together (2 girls and 2 boys, one was named Tango). We had a lot of challenges with Jasper initially as he was developing open soars all over his body because he was allergic to almost everything. After a year of experimenting with food and steroids we finally have a solution. Jasper has been eating raw dog food and specifically Pets-Go-Raw buffalo full meal, and all the soars are gone. No more steroids!!! I am telling you this in case any of the other puppies have similar issues and you have been contacted. So far Jasper is allergic to wheat, corn, all grains, chicken, fish, turkey and possibly some molds. If any of the other puppies have similar issues to Jasper I am willing to talk to their owners about solutions. Jasper is a fantastic dog and I would hate to see someone give up on a dog they adopted because they can’t find a solution and are frustrated.

Thanks for giving Jasper his start in life.

The Hartmans

April

This is April's story, adopted by us in June 2007. April was our first experience fostering for Scars. To some degree the fostering was a failure due to the fact that we decided to keep April. She was the most laid back dog and the heaviest sleeper we have ever seen.

She is an independent little girl and she is very calm. Our older dog Oakley adores her. They play whenever they get a chance. April seems to be a very athletic dog. She seems to like the feeling of being in the air. We take her to the lake and she jumps off of the top of a 4 foot drop and launches herself as far as she can go. She runs very fast and is a very graceful jumper. We had our older dog in agility class and she came along for the ride. After class we took her through for fun and when she went over the jump there were a lot of ooohs and aaaahs from the people that saw her.

We enjoy her antics and love to watch her run laps around the yard. She loves to chase bugs and seems to have a taste for grasshoppers and moths. Eeeeew! She hasn't shown us much interest in toys, however she loves chewing sticks and nylabones. During one snowfall she was spotted running and catching snowflakes. We love to watch her slowly charm Oakley until he gets distracted so she can gently grab his bone from him. At times she charms him so well that he willingly gives it up to her.

She has assisted us in the care of other foster dogs that have come through our house. I am sure that when she matures she will be a great asset to help us socialize new foster dogs as they come into our care. We are so glad she came into our lives. *Dave and Michelle

Mika (Milla)

Hi Scars,

I don't know how to thank you guys. Mika has come a long way, since we adopted her when she was at Pet Planet, Mika, is a big part of our family now also, our cat who we have had for 14 years loves her too. Mika loves her walks, especially to Second Cup on 124 Street, where she knows that she is going to get some muffin from my friend. Also, to the off leash area where she can meet her dog friends. She looks forward to seeing her cousin Sonic, who is a collie cross. Loves car rides, especially when we go to Grande Cache, where she knows can just run and run on the trails. She has been easy to train in all areas. AND THE WHOLE FAMILY LOVES HER.

I just want to say thanks again Scars for the wonderful job you are doing.

Mika is related to Kootenay formerly Freddy


You may use message and photo on your site.

Pat

Casey

This is a very tough entry to make. Casey was taken from us in an awful accident in July, a month before her second birthday. I won't go into details. Suffice it to say that the guilt and the horror of her death will be with us forever. I still sleep with her favorite squeeky toy and cry for her often. Though she was a tough puppy to love, we loved her totally!
Casey was born in August 2005, part of Grace's litter of seven. Our Border Collie/Aussie had died from cancer in Sept, leaving our lives empty with no doggy ears to rub. Grace's litter all had the look that we were searching for, and any one of them could have become our pup. Unfortunately, Grace was extremely shy and most of the pups had followed her lead. They were all backed into the doghouse when we went to look at them and we didn't want to drag them out. Casey and one other pup were the outgoing ones and eventually were crawling all over us as we sat in the run.

Dazzle

Good Morning,

We have adopted a pup from your society. She was fostered near Westlock. It has been just over 2 years now. Our pup Dazzle, we kept the name that was given, and she has liven up to her name. Attached is updated picture recently taken. Dazzle is now 2 1/4 years old. She loves attention. She is a smart dog and will do a few tricks for us. We love her as part as our family and glad that this SCARS was formed.

Thanks to all the volunteers that care for those that can't.

Cheryl

Rabb

Rabbie is such a wonderful dog. His goal in life is simply to have fun. He loves everyone and everything - dogs, cats, kids, everyone he meets. He is slowly winning over my 14 year old cat Sammy (she didn't really want me to get another dog) and he really wants me to get him another canine brother or sister. He is a quirky dog, and although he loves to chew his squeaky toys what he really loves are finding and destroying SOS pads. Yes, really (I do not encourage this)! He makes me laugh constantly with his happy personality. He went camping last weekend for the first time and he did great. He made some new friends with the kids there that weekend, who loved him as much as he loved them.

Linda

Norton

Hey guys!

Norton is having alot of fun at his new home in Southern Ontario on beuatiful Lake St. Clair inthe Great Lakes...although he has to get used to the humid hot summers down here he was pleased to see the groomer for a cool down look! The kids keep Norton fully engaged and he loves going for walks in the woods. Of course he is still getting used to the car rides, he's been nothing but a happy and welcome addtion to the family. Everyone comments on how beautiful he is and he is SUPER good with everyone he meets and all the children....especially his 2 year old parnter in crime :P

Norton was a bit nervous for the 4 day truck ride to our new home in Ontario but he has adjusted amazingly....we and he couldn't be happier and he wants to give a howl out to all his old brothers, sisters, cousins and friends at SCARS he misses you all and wants you to know how thankful he is for all that you did for him and do for others.

Attached is a picture of Norton being a lazy dog out by the lake in the back yard feel free to post it!

Sincerley,

Ryan Alice, Norton and Family.

Spudnik

Hi There! We just wanted to send an update on how Spudnik is doing…yes we kept his name; it was too much of a unique name not to keep it. He is growing everyday and discovering new things. He loves going to the off leash park and meeting new dogs, although the bigger ones scare him a bit but his big sister pepper ( who was not adopted through SCARS) comes to his rescue. He has grown so much from the first day we brought him home in January… he now weights a whopping 55lbs! He loves to play with pretty much everything, especially his dad’s socks! Also his sister Sally was adopted shortly after him by our good friend, so Sally and Spudnik get together at all the time to play!

We also want to say thank you to everyone at Scars for all their hard work and efforts to give these animals the homes they deserve, they are totally worth it! We can’t imagine our lives with out our little spud and pepper.

Danielle & Steve

Sox

This is my new forever home. I have settled in beautifully. I have a best friend Sadie, and I play with her every single day. I love her. My new family have me in puppy school. I am sooo smart. Thanks to SCARS I now have a great life.

Barks of thanks.

Sox forever.......

Sasha

Dear SCARS,

We adopted Sasha in November of 2005 and we have loved every minute of the time we have spent with her! We may be extremely biased but we have even had friends who don't like dogs admit what a great dog she is. Sasha loves to meet new people and animals. Her favorite things to do are run and to play with other dogs. In the beginning of 2006 we attended Basic Manners classes at Dogspaw and Sasha graduated with flying colours.

We recently had a new baby come into our home and were a little worried about if Sasha would be jealous. The worries were for nothing as Sasha thinks of the new baby as hers and if he starts crying she will come and get one of us if we don't come fast enough.

Thank you so much for all the great work you do in bringing these deserving animals to loving homes! We can honestly say that our lives wouldn't be the same without Sasha in them! It is hard to imagine a time that she wasn't with us even though it has only been a year and a half.

Celena, Scott & Kellan

Syren (AKA Liberty)

Janice,

Here is Syren (aka: Liberty) now 2 years old. She is my sweetie, my shadow everywhere!

Velvet

Keeta (AKA Nakita) and Garner

Hi there!

This is Keeta (A.K.A. Nakita) and Garner here! We were adopted by our new mum and dad (Lesley and Jesse from Calgary) from you guys about 5 months ago when we used to live with Silvia. Could you please pass this email on to her. We just wanted to catch her up on what has been happening for us in our new home!!!

We really love our new home and our parents sure love us a bunch; however, it was a bit of an adjustment period when we first moved in! I (Garner) was a pretty nervous guy and got really scared of a lot of things, my nickname even became "Mr. Worries" because I worried so much and was always very tense with a really tight belly!!! I did not really like going to the dog park much as all those other crazy dogs got me pretty worried! Keeta on the other hand, loves the dog park and is always looking to play with whoever is around!

Soon, after we got settled in in our new home, Keeta really started acting strange and it was soon discovered that she was a "resource guarder" and did not want anyone to go near her toys or anything else she thought should be hers. She even bit our mum twice on the hand and growled and made her feel really scared.

Our mum and dad cared about us a lot though and wanted to do whatever they could to help me with my worries and Keeta with her guarding and aggression. We had a visit from a really nice trainer who came right to our house. She helped a lot on that first visit and mum and dad felt a lot better. The trainer liked us so much that she decided to make me and Keeta her "case study dogs" for some training she was doing and we got to do a 9 week- intensive training for FREE! My parents have learnt a lot about us and we're really doing a good job of listening and getting along together. I think the best thing that my parents learnt about was the "Tellington Therapeutic touch" which Keeta and I both really love.

It has really done an amazing job of getting rid of a lot of my worries! I am less tense, more confident and just feel better about myself overall. I even like to go to the park and have started to play with some of the other dogs!!! My parents say that I am such a loyal guy, I always stay close and try really hard to listen and do things to make my parents proud. I also learnt a lot of manners at my dog school class- I was the top student!

Keeta is doing way better and is much more respectful to our parents. No bites, not many growls, and is even giving her toys to them when they ask for them!!! She loves the t-touch too and lets mum touch her where she needs to when she was not even aloud to touch her paws before!!!

Keeta and I like to play together and once in a while will even do a little snuggling together! Our favorite is going out to the mountains with mum and dad...we can be off leash in the mountains as we stay close to mum and dad. We also love to go back-country skiing with dad...I love to try to catch his skis!!!! I think we have really brought lots of happiness to mum and dad's life and they have brought lots to ours! We are a great little family and look out for each other.

I hope that all is going well with you and all your pup-friends. Thank you so much for taking care of us and keeping us safe, it's so nice to see that you are still looking after other pups that need your help.

ps- thanks for the calendar you sent.....Boy....do I ever look handsome on that cover!!!!
wet nose kisses and licks!

Keeta and Garner
xoxo

Gracie (aka Nana)

I wanted to update AGAIN how well Gracie is doing. She definitely has the Basset in her as she loves to howl when we sing! She certainly has her own voice and makes sure you know exactly how she feels about things. She has a cat brother named Reilly whom she would dearly love to play with but who has decided he can't be bothered with these dog things. And she has a big brother named Buster (in picture) who she torments endlessly. She has been a test of his patience has she runs alongside him ,nipping at his ears. But he loves her so much and washes her face each morning. He's very protective at the off-leash and at the slightest sign that she might be in over her head, Buster runs over to "save" his princess. I am so grateful to SCARS for giving her a second chance. We just love her to bits.

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January 2, 2007

Just a few pics to show you what a little gem you guys helped create.

Gracie(Nanna) and I spend every waking moment together and the favorite part of both our days is the half hour walk we take at 6 in the morning. I know she is a special little monkey if she can manage to have me awake at that time and NOT be grumpy!! More and more of goofiness comes out everyday and we sometimes refer to her as "graceless Gracie" as she is terribly clumsy. But she makes me smile and even Reilly, the cat, has determined she is hardly a threat and will allow us all to sleep together in peace. The look of horror on his face when he woke up cuddled up to Gracie instead of me was priceless. Thanks again for this little bundle of joy and laughs!!

Feel free to post pics and letter. Everyone should be so lucky to have a Gracie!

Echo

Hi There,

I am sending an update on Echo. I sent a pic. of her last year to be put in your Look at us now. It as been a year since we got Echo and she has taken over our yard, house and our hearts. She is the most affectionate, lovable and obedient ( except for going after a deer once) dog we have ever had. We love her to bits. I have heard from a few people that have got dogs from scars that they to are very happy with there pets. Thank-you scars...
Yours truly.. Phil

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September 6, 2006

I thought I would give you a quick update on Echo. We have had her for 3 months now. For starters we all LOVE her to pieces. She is a very easygoing dog. She is great with other dogs we meet on our walks. ( very easy going ) Oh and she LOVES walks and rides in the truck. I take her with me as much as possible. I do not think Echo has a mean bone in her body. Getting Echo was the best thing we did. She is a very obedient dog. I could not ask for more.
Thanks S.C.A.R.S.
Yours Truly Phil....

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June, 2006

Just thought I would let you know that so far Echo is doing great. She is a VERY good dog so far. It will be three weeks this Tusday that we had her. All I can say is she's a doll. She listens real well and follows basic commands. The only time she go's to the bathroom is when we take her for walks. I think she only went twice in the yard. Between me and my daughter she is getting spoilt.Anyway I just thought I would tell you a bit about how Echo was doing... Yours Truly.. Phil

Sierra

Hi Jamie and Foster Parent Olivia,

Sierra is doing beautifully! She is very happy and loved. She is extremely smart and we have started training. She loves her walks and loves to play fetch. Her and our little shitsu terrypoo, Abby, are the best of friends, and they will even share a food bowl now. She truly is a member of our family and we just wanted to thank you for her, and your support and guidance when we had questions or concerns. We are looking at agility training for her as she is extremely smart and can jump crazy heights. She also loves spending time with us, and that is some great one on one time. Our 18 month old daughter can say her name beautifully, and in fact it was one of her first words. The girls really enjoy her.

Thanks again,

Jenni, Khery, Brieanna, Indigo and her best pal Abby

Millie

Hello!

It is getting close to a year since I have been adopted and I am having a great time with my new family. I live with my Mom and Dad and I even have a little black pug for a sister.

A lot has happened in the last year. My Mom and Dad got married just as soon as I was adopted and we moved to Calgary. I love it here.

I am getting quite big. I weigh 58lbs. I like to play ball in the back yard and go for long walks. I keep asking Dad to take me for a bike ride but he doesn't think that my brakes work that well yet.

I am curious to see how my siblings are doing...Maggie, Rocky, and all of the others. I hope that they are as happy as me.

Love,

Mille Taylor

P.s. I have enclosed a picture of myself so you can see how great I look. XOXOX

Akira (AKA Sawyer)

Hi! My name is Ktista. My husband and I adopted Akira from your organization just over 2 years ago. At that time he was known as Sawyer. He is a Ridgeback cross, we believe he is mixed with Husky,as he displays a lot of physical and behavioral characteristics of a husky. Akira's mom and sister were also from your organization. I remember his mother was Onyx and his sister was Sassy.

Akira is a great dog! He is a big sweetheart, and he loves to cuddle and kiss. He is madly in love with our 4 month old daughter.He will not stop kissing her, and every time she cries, he runs into the room to check on her. He sleeps beside her all the time too. He is so loyal, and he is very very protective of our family, especially me and Kalle, our baby girl. He is either following me around the house where ever I go, or he is laying beside Kalle. He is such a fantastic dog for our family.

Gilligan & Precilla

May 15, 2007

Hi everyone! Gilligan here. I’ve been with my mom and my Aunt Neenee for over a year now and I could not be happier. My mom likes to take me and Precilla for long walks on the off-leash trails and we love it! I make friends with almost all of the dogs we meet except for this pack of Newfies that I’m terrified of; those things look like bears!! My leg is doing great although every once in a while I get a little too crazy (I’m a fun-loving guy) and it gets sore for a while and then I turn into a “hop-along”. But I’m a tough boy and my mom keeps Metacam on hand just in case! I am a 93-pound mama’s boy and one of my most favorite things to do is ‘nuggle with my mom and let her give me big hugs. I was very happy that my mom and Neenee adopted my girlfriend Precilla. It’s nice to have a friend although I think she is more attached to me than I am to her—just don’t tell her I said that. Haha.

Hey. It’s me, Precilla. My mom and Neenee adopted me in November so I’ve been part of the “zoo” for almost 6 months now. I looooove my boyfriend Gilligan. It was love at first sight. I can’t get enough of him!! When we went to school at Dogspaw everyone kept laughing at how I would maul Gilligan with kisses and paws after being away from him for just a few minutes. My mom is trying to get me to be a little more independent by walking me alone. She says it is working but one time I slipped out of my collar and there was no way I was going to let Mom get within 3 feet of me; no siree! So, Neenee had to bring Gilligan in the car to where we were so that Mom could put the collar and leash back on me. Haha that sure gave Mom a run for her money. She said it was a good thing we weren’t by cars. I am still a little shy with people—those things can be pretty scary. But I have gotten much better! I am not a “melter” anymore when I get scared. My mom and Neenee think that the reason I used to be SO scared was because I was in pain. It turned out that I had some rotten teeth that had to be removed. Right after the surgery I was already a braver, happier girl. I am so happy to be in my forever home with my mom, Neenee and the kitties.

Precilla's sister, Polly is still available for adoption

Riddick

Hello!!

We just wanted to give you an update on Riddick, the Australian Shepherd Cross that we picked up from Athabasca in September/October of 2006 (I think that’s when we got him).

He has finally settled in with his sister Monday. We changed his name to Mimic as soon as we got him – it sounded similar and was just to help him realize he had a new beginning. (also, because he “mimicked” everything Monday did until he took obedience classes with us and finally understood more commands) Monday and Mimic are inseparable now and so happy together. It took him a long time to get over his broken heart and has only just recently actually started to get his self-confidence back and play with enthusiasm.

We have gone rollerblading this spring and although Monday is a wolfhound cross – and has longer legs…. Mimic can go 4 kilometers rollerblading and STILL be pulling his slow-mo Mom behind him. Monday just lopes behind at that point. What an energetic puppy!!

He is so cuddly and loving. He wants nothing more than cuddles and to be near us all the time. We will be moving to Montreal in August for a year and the WHOLE family is moving together. Mimic’s little brother Chase (white cat) is quite happy with the new addition to the family too. Chase and Monday did not get along until Mimic came along! He is the glue that made them all happy together! J Now we are one big happy family and everyone is settled in.

We’ve attached some pictures of the inseparable duo of destruction. J

Luv Tanya, Scott & family.

Colby (aka Sulton)

This is Colby (aka Sulton). After a year of trying to convince my husband, Zan, that we should get another dog so that Brady would have some company, he finally agreed. We had my sister's dog for 2 weeks and we saw how happy Brady was to have another dog around so we decided that it was time to look at getting another dog. We thought about getting a pure-bred German Shepherd puppy and we also thought of the SPCA and SCARS. We adopted Brady from the SPCA back in Feb. 2005 and we were very lucky to have found such a great dog, and so we thought we would look at rescuing another puppy.
I had a couple of dogs picked out and went to PetSmart SCARS Adoption Day to see a couple of them and felt that I had connected the most with Colby (formerly Sulton). I was nervous because I wasn't sure how Brady would feel about a puppy, and if he would be angry at us for getting one.
The first few days we were convinced that Colby didn't have a personality. But as the days went by, his little personality started coming out in a very big way. The very first time I had to leave Colby through the day to go to work, I wasn't sure what to do at first. So I decided that the bathroom would be the best idea. We put some toys and some water down for him and put up a coffee table against the door and left the door open in case Brady wanted to come down for a visit. When my husband got home for work that day, he was greeted by two very happy dogs. He checked the house for damage, but everything was in place. We were very surprised and pleased that our house was in one piece. Somehow the "Escape artist" got out, probably through a crack that he pushed open.
Then we started leaving the two dogs outside through the day in our fenced yard. It was in the evening and Colby was outside so I thought I would go and check on him to make sure he wasn't getting into trouble. He was nowhere to be found. He managed to get himself out of a small hole under the fence that we didn't see because it was covered up by a lilac bush. Brady and I ran around the neighbourhood calling him and I thought for sure he was gone. About 15 minutes had gone by and out of nowhere there comes Colby. Zan decided after that he needed to board up a few spots around the fence. He has tried to escape since. We have had Colby now for about 5 months and he has grown to be such an important part of our family. His personality fits in so well with all of ours. He loves the water, he loves car rides and he has even survived a 9 hour car ride to Vernon, BC. He loves the outdoors, and he loves his family. We are very happy with our decision to get another puppy. *April